Spinal traction chairs



Oct. 10, 1961 G. HoTAs 3,003,498

SPINAL TRACTION CHAIRS Filed Deo. 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [r11/'ely `lur Leon (i. Hoi-as AGENT Oct. 10, 1961 L.. G. HoTAs 3,003,498

SPINAI.. TRACTION CHAIRS Filed Dec. 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llyveqfol 1 Leon G. Ho'as Aar-.NT

United States testent t 3,003,498 .SPINAL TRACTION CHAIRS Leo G. Hotas, 190 Osborne St., N., Winnipeg 1, Manitoba, Canada Filed Dec. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 777,677 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 75) The invention relates to means for tractioning or stretching the spinal column of a human patient by mechanical tension for therapeutical treatment. Such tractioning partially separates the vertebras to relieve nerve root pressures aecting Various parts of the body, relieves pressures on intervertebral discs, and is valuable for arthritis and relieving muscular strains and stresses.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an operating chair on which a patient may sit to receive the tractioning, provide means thereon for holding the lower part of the body, including the lower pant of the spine, thereto; and provide means for gradually and progressively lifting the upper part of the body, including the upper part of the spine, for said vertebra partial separation.

Further objects of the invention are: to provide means for tractioning the spinal column at specific positions therealong, or for the full length thereof; for varying the amount of traction thereon; for maintaining the desired amount of traction over a period of time; and for giving intermittent traction; such tractions at all times being under the control of an operator, the patient, or both.

A still further object of the invention is to construct the traction chair in a simple, economical and very durable manner, for simplicity and ease of operation, low cost of manufacture, and long years of satisfactory ethcient service.

With the above important and other minor objects in View, which will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the construction, design and arrangement of the various parts hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the complete traction chair with the parts in position as used on a patient, one leg of the framework being broken away for clearer exposure.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side View of the upper part of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged Vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4, FIGURE 3, and showing the slip-grip in section.

FIGURE 5 is a face View of the upper abdominal belt with the straps arranged for use on a female figure.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a head lifting saddle for use with the traction chair.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The framework of the chair comprises an inverted U- shaped tubing 10 having an inverted L-shaped tubing 11 connected thereto at the upper centre, to provide three vertical legs 12, 13 and 14. The bottoms of these legs are encased in rubber shoes 15 and all legs are connected some distance up from the floor by a triangularshaped tubing frame 16. The front of this frame 16 supports a rectangular-shaped seat 17, leaving a small triangular-shaped opening 18 in the frame therebehind.

A pair of hooks 19 are provided on the side members of the frame 16, one on each side ofthe seat. A pair of straps 20 each have one end thereof caught on one of the hooks 19, while their opposite ends are each connected to a buckle 21 on each side of a circular girdle 22. 'Ihis girdle is adapted to encircle `the lower abdomen of Patented Oct. 10, 1961 ECS the patient, and in the position shown. It consists of a pair of leather side members 23 and 24 of tapered-shape, each being higher at the front than at the back, and each side member carries horizontal straps 25 which connect with buckles 26 on the opposite side member, so they can be adjustably connected together on the patient. When so connected, the patient is held to the seat 17 and accordingly, the lower part of his spine is held stationary too.

A11 upper pair of rather wide leather bands 27 and 28 are positioned in spaced relation front and back, and are also connected by horizontal straps and buckles 29 and 30 respectively. These upper bands and straps form an upper abdominal belt 31 which may be secured around the patients waist, as and where desired. The rear band 28 has a pair of shoulder straps 32 projecting upwardly therefrom, and these latter straps each pass through one of a pair of buckle looped straps 33 each carried from an end of a horizontal rod 34, which is provided with a central eye 35. After passing through the looped straps, the shoulder straps pass down and are connected to buckles 36 on the front band 27, so that the belt is supported from the rod 34.

The shoulder straps 32 of the belt 31 are buckled as shown when the patient is male. When the patient is female the said straps are removed from the buckles 36 and both passed through a ring 37 of a central strap 38, and then back to a central buckle 39 on each shoulder strap. The strap 38 passes down inside the band 2,7, comes out through a slit therein at the bottom, and is secured to a buckle 40 thereon. In this manner, the shoulder straps take a V-shape, as shown in FIGURE 5, and therefore do not interfere with the female breasts.

A three sheave pulley 41 is hooked to the eye 35 of the horizontal rod 34 and a four sheave block 42 is rigidly secured, as by a bolt 43, to the upper horizontal part of the L-shaped tubing 11. A cable 44 has one end secured to an eye on the pulley 41, then passes back and forth over the sheaves of the block 42 and the pulley 41 to form a block and tackle arrangement, generally indicated by the reference numeral 45. A further four sheave block 46 is secured by a bolt 46' to the rear end of the L-shaped tubing 11 and the three sheaves on the left side thereof, together with a cable 47 and a lower two sheave pulley 48, form a further block and tackle arrangement 49. In this latter arrangement, one end of the cable 47 is secured to an eye on the pulley 43 while the opposite end passes around the said sheaves, then frontward and through a single sheave pulley 50 on the U-shaped frame It), finally being secured to one of the legs thereof by being wound back and forth on a wrap-around bracket 51 thereon.

The free end of the cable 44 passes from the right hand sheave of the block 42 to the right hand sheave of the block 46, around same, and then down and through what I term a slip-grip '52. This slip-grip (see FIG- URE 4) comprises a cup-shaped casing 53 having a coned upper end 54. The lower end of the casing pivotally supports the turned in ends of a downwardly hanging wire loop 55. A flared tubing 56 slidably passes up 4through the bottom of the casing and its upper end is turned outwardly in a flange 57 to support a number of balls 58 thereabove. A coil spring 59 encircles the tubing 56, within the casing, and is compressed between the bottom of said casing and said ange, so that the balls are pushed against the inner sides of the coned upper end of the casing, brought toward each other, and in the present instance to jam tightly against thek cable 44 passing therethrough. If the casing is held with one hand and the other hand grasps the cable 44 therebelow, and pulls; the downward pressure onV the balls will cause them to release so the cable can pass through the slipgrip. If the second hand grasps the ared tubing and pulls downward, the cable can be moved either way. But, if the casing alone is pulled or the cable merely pulled up, the two will be locked by the balls .and move together.

A vertical rod 60 has Vthe lower end thereof provided with a weight supporting flat disk 61, while its .upper end is T-shaped in a double curved catch 62. The hanging loop 55 of the slip-grip passes .under and supports one catch of the T-shaped end while a hook 63 from the bottom of the pulley 48 passes under and supports the other catch. Accordingly, the slip-grip is held Aagainst the pulley 43 while the rod 60 is positioned between -the two and therebelow.

A pair of cross bars 64 and 65 are supported, one above the other, on the leg 14 of the chair framework, and -in turn are adapted to support a series of weights 66 of different sizes, slots through the sides of the weights receiving the bars 64 and 65 for the purpose. In the operation of the traction chair, these weights are adapted to be removed from the bars and their slots permit them to be slid down the rod 60 for supported reception on the disk 61.

In operation, the belt 31 and girdle 22 are secured around a patient. The cable 1114 is manually pulled downward through the slip-grip by the operator and the slack will be taken up by the block and tackle 45 until the belt 31 will be just lifting the patients body. This will be the start of the tensioning or tractioning of the spinal column as it will be against the resistance of the girdle 22 which is strapped to the triangular-shaped frame 16 of the chair framework. Before any real lifting traction is exerted however, the operator will pull on the end of the cable 47 to first take up the slack in the block and tackle 49, and secondly, gradually transfer any weight on the disk 61 vfrom the block and tackle 45 over to that 49. Suitable weights 66 will then be taken from the bars 64-65 :and placed on the disk 61, and these weights will also be supported by the block and tackle 49. Then, by gradually slackening the cable 47, the total weight on the disk 61 can be transferred back to the block and tackle 45, and seven times the amount of this weight will be acting on the spinal column of the patient as traction, due to the leverage in the block and tackle 45.

By pulling or slackening the cable 47, the actual amount of traction on the spinal column can be reduced or increased. In other words; it can be varied at will from zero to the full multiplied weight. By holding the cable at any intermediate position, or securing it, a steady amount of traction can be exerted over a period of time; or the correct weight can be placed on the disk 61 and the cable 47 completely released to accomplish the same result, and the operator accordingly will be released for other work. Or, intermittent traction can be exerted on the spinal column by the operator alternately pulling and slackening off the cable. The patient at all times can reduce or stop the traction by personally pulling on the cable 47, if the strain is too severe.

It will be noted that I have shown an upper abdominal belt 31 for applying traction to the spinal column below the shoulders. By suitably positioning either the belt or the girdle such traction can be applied at any specific location 'along this particular section. However, it is also possible to apply traction in the same way for the full length of the spinal column simply by substituting the well known saddle or sling 67, shown in FIGURE 6, for the belt 31. This saddle comprises a chin strap 68 having the ends thereof each tapered to one of `a pair of rings 69. These rings are each supported from one of the ends of a heavy rod 70 which has the central part looped to form an eye 71. A rear band 72 has its ends carried by the upper ends of the chin strap and is adapted to fit behind a. patients head. A further pair of small straps 73 pass around the patients neck, one on each side, and

connect the rear band to the chin strap. When this saddle is substituted for the belt 31 and the eye 71 is caught by the hook 35, the patients head can be lifted in the same manner as the belt 31 is lifted, to apply traction completely down the spinal column. The girdle 22 has the straps adjustable so it can be elevated if desired so traction can be applied from the shoulders up.

From the drawings it will be seen that the framework of the chair is extremely simple and practical for the purpose and gives complete freedom of action to the operator in adjusting the various attachments to the patient or to operate the cables for traction. All parts work freely and eiciently and very little can go wrong mechanically. The traction can be increased or reduced gradually as required without any sudden shocks to the patient and so the operator has the patients complete confidence. teady traction can be applied without danger as the patient can always relieve it and accordingly the operator is freed for other duties. Or intermittent traction can be applied in just the right ,gradually graded amount. It is a pleasure for the practitioner to operate this machine, and it lls a long felt want in the profession.

While I have shown two lifting means for perfect control of the traction, the means y49 could be disconnected and the chair would still work, though not as well, by using variable weights on the cable of the block and tackle 45.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A spinal traction chair, comprising: a framework supporting a seat; means for securing the lower part of the body of a patient to said seat; a block and tackle, having an operating cable, carried by said framework and fastenable to the upper part of said patient for exerting traction on the spinal column thereof when said operating cable is pulled and said patient is so secured; a Slip-grip mounted on said operating cable and normally gripping same for operation in one direction, and for manual release in either direction; a lifting mechanism carried by said framework; means for manually operating said lifting mechanism; a weight releasably connected to said slip-grip for lowering of same to operate said block and tackle, and also connected to said lifting mechanism for releasable support of said weight; and said lifting mechanism operable to progressively transfer the support of said weight between said slip-grip and itself to vary the amount of traction exerted on the spinal column of 4said patient.

2. A spinal traction chair, comprising: a framework supporting a seat; means for securing the lower part of the body of a patient to said seat; a block and tackle, having an operating cable, carried by said framework and fastenable to the upper part of said patient for exerting traction on the spinal column thereof when said operating cable is pulled and said patient is so secured; a slipgrip mounted on said operating cable and normally gripping same for sheave operation of said block and tackle in one direction, and for manual release in either direction; a secondary block and tackle carried by said framework; manuai control means for operating said secondary block and tackle; a weight connected to said secondary block and tackle and also connected to said slip-grip; said secondary block and tackle operable by said manual control to raise and lower said weight and progressively transfer the support of said weight proportionately between said slip-grip and itself as required to vary the amount of traction exerted on the spinal column of said patient.

3. A spinal traction chair, comprising: a framework supporting a seat; means for anchoring the lower part of the body of a patient to said seat; a lifting mechanism carried by said framework and fastenable to the upper part of the body of said patient to exert traction on the spinal column thereof, between said body parts, when operated; I Ilans for manually operating said lifting mechanism; a weight received by said lifting mechanism for operation of said lifting mechanism; a second lifting mechanism carried by said framework for releasable support of said Weight; means for manually operating said secondary lifting mechanism; said latter lifting mechanism being operable to lift and lower said weight and progressively transfer the support of same back and forth between said rst mentioned lifting mechanism and itself, to vary the amount of traction exerted on the spinal column of said patient.

4. A spinal traction chair, comprising: a framework supporting a seat; a girdle adjustably secured to and positioned above said seat, and receivable around a patient, for anchoring the lower part of the body of said patient thereto; a lifting mechanism carried by said framework and fastenable to the upper part of the body of said patient, for exerting traction on the spinal column thereof, between said body parts, when operated; means for manually operating said lifting mechanism; a weight received by the manually operable part of said lifting mechanism for weight operation of same; means for adjusting the position of said weight on said manually operable part; a secondary lifting mechanism carried by said framework for releasable support of said weight; means for manually operating said secondary lifting mechanism; said latter lifting mechanism being operable to raise and lower said weight and progressively transfer the support of same back and forth between said iirst mentioned lifting mechanism and itself, to vary the amount of traction exerted on the spinal column of said patient.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 445,658 Bushong Feb. 3, 1891 762,832 Minges June 14, 1904 951,560 Eaton May 8, 1910 1,347,913 Rink July 27, 1920 2,798,481 Mathews July 9, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 526,306 France June 29, 1921 

